Nov. 25, 2017
07:04 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
07:08 am JST

"We are alarmed that in the last two months when North Korea conducted no tests or rocket launches, it seemed that Washington was not happy about that, and tried to do things that would irritate and provoke Pyongyang," Lavrov said.

Nov. 25, 2017
07:50 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
07:52 am JST

I share Lavrov’s concern that the US military is expanding its buildup in Asia. This is particularly worrisome with a loose cannon like Trump having access to the red button. He’s increased US military activities in Asia and throughout the world and shown he’ll further expand military operations.

Given how insecure Trump is, it’s easy to imagine him leading a wag the dog to take attention away from the media reporting the ineptness of him and his staff, the extra costs US taxpayers pay for him and his family to maintain their lavash lifestyles, his nepotism, his dealings with Russia, his shading business practices in the US and around the world, the numerous allegations of his sexual misconduct, among others.

Russia’s meddling in the US election showed they preferred Trump. I wonder if they now have buyer’s remorse.

Russia’s global expansions, like the US’s, also need to be checked. Too bad the US doesn’t have a sensible leader capable of doing that.

Nov. 25, 2017
07:55 am JST

No big deal.

As BertieWooster correctly points out, Japan is a U.S. forward base already with Okinawa embodying it in most conspicuous form. The situation is nothing different from the occupation, that was carried over seamlessly from the Occupation era. Pseudo-patriot Japanese politicians are eager not only to maintain but even expand it.

Nov. 25, 2017
08:38 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
09:00 am JST

Kono sure isn't happy in that photo. Probably angry that Lavrov won't accept the, "We're not playing both sides! Just please cooperate or it'll be regrettable, okay? Trust us!" rubbish that people eat up here or have no choice but to follow. Japan has once again buried any chance at a Peace Treaty with Russia and/or getting the islands back, but at the same time have already committed to giving Russia more money. Well done, Japan!

Nov. 25, 2017
09:05 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
09:21 am JST

I think every word that comes out of the mouth of the Russian can be ignored as garbage or actively hostile propaganda. Every move they make is designed to apply pressure to points in America’s alliances to break them apart.

Indeed, when Russia makes sob noises like this and whines, it means previous actions are working and should be increased threefold.

Nov. 25, 2017
09:32 am JST

This is exactly why Japan needs to up its military game on all fronts. Russia should not not whining about the USA's presence. It should be dealing with Japan's presence, and Japan should step up to the plate. In addition to the USA's presence, with Japan's approval, Japan should let Russia and China know that it is not cowed by the totalitarian states in the neighborhood. Obviously, the CCP and Putin are not manning up and representing anything but their own corrupt interests, so Japan, however fallible the democracy is (fault of the populace), should tell Russia to stuff it... And then some.

Nov. 25, 2017
09:56 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
10:12 am JST

Alfie NoakesToday 09:05 am JST Russia created North Korea, the most brutal, hellish and dangerous country on Earth

Complete nonsense.

Complete fact.

The Soviets and Americans were unable to agree on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea. This led in 1948 to the establishment of two separate governments – the Communist-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the West-aligned Republic of Korea – each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea. In 1950 the Korean War broke out. After much destruction, the war ended with the status quo being restored, as neither the DPRK nor the ROK had succeeded in conquering the other's portion of the original Korea. The peninsula was divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the two separate governments stabilized into the existing political entities of South and North Korea.

Nov. 25, 2017
10:15 am JST

Who has the fastest and most capable ICBM on the planet. The so called "Satan 2" (err that name should tell you something)? Its not the United States. Answer, Russia

ZOMG TEH DRAMA. The name "Satan" was given to the missile by ...the NATO classification, not by Russia. Its Russian name is a boring "PC-20A". Imagine Russia or China can give whatever names to US ICMBs (the largest arsenal on earth) - "Voldemort" or "Prince Joffrey" and then pro-Chinese or pro-Russian netizens go nuts on the interwebs saying "OMG, it's called Prince Joffrey, that name should tell you something!"

Wikipedia: "The United States was the first country to manufacture nuclear weapons, with help from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and is the only country to have used them in combat."

Moar Wiki: "It is estimated that, since 1945, the United States produced more than 70,000 nuclear warheads, which is more than all other nuclear weapon states combined. The Soviet Union/Russia has produced approximately 55,000 nuclear warheads since 1949..."

Nov. 25, 2017
10:15 am JST

As the United States poured men and money into South Vietnam, Chinese and Soviet involvement in Vietnam also increased. As the world’s largest communist powers, both the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China also lent moral, logistic and military support to North Vietnam. Both Moscow and Beijing hoped to consolidate and expand communism in the Asian hemisphere. Not only would the rise of Asian communism help tip the balance against the West in the Cold War, it would also serve Russian and Chinese national interests. Neither the Soviet Union or China were frank or open about the nature of the support they provided to North Vietnam and the National Liberation Front (NLF). To this day there is much speculation about exactly what was given and by whom. What can safely be assumed is that Soviet and Chinese support was vital to Hanoi and contributed to the successes of its operations in South Vietnam.

Nov. 25, 2017
10:16 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
10:20 am JST

Russia along with China are in a position to stop NK's nuclear and missile advancement. In fact both nations aided NK over the decades by thwarting UN resolutions aimed at NK. So it's utterly ridiculous for Russia to complain now about US military build up. Or would Russia prefer that South Korea and Japan do what NK is doing. going nuclear? What would Russia be doing today if hypothetically South Korea was constantly shouting how they are going to "nuke" Moscow?

Nov. 25, 2017
10:56 am JST

Alfie NoakesToday 09:05 am JST

Russia created North Korea, the most brutal, hellish and dangerous country on Earth

Complete nonsense.

Complete fact.

No, nonsense. There are many places in the world more brutal, hellish and dangerous than North Korea. No matter how bad things are there (and they're bad) many other places are worse. Mostly as a result of US sponsored wars.

Nov. 25, 2017
11:12 am JST

It was bad enough that Obama did not call the CCP and Putin out on their dictatorial evilness and vociferously shame their "alternative" to democracy. Now the USA is saddled with a president that is openly smooching the backsides of the CCP and Putin for corporate gains. Japan should tell America to take a backseat on this comment and let the Russian-Orwellian thng know that the USA is not the problem, that Japan is here, front and center.

Nov. 25, 2017
11:16 am JST

Sorry Alfie, NK is the leader in gulags, arbitrary executions, starvation, etc. Plus they have this novel idea that threatening the neighbors with nuclear war is diplomacy. Now Russia wants to whine that the neighbors are going to defend themselves? Seriously, how stupid does Putin thing everybody is?

Nov. 25, 2017
11:19 am JST

It's very naive of Japan to think Russia would freely give up their only safe and secured "route" if at war with Japan. The Kuril islands serves as a hamper to the tension between the U.S and Russia. If the Kuril falls into the hand of Japan, Russia would get more isolated and "shut" off their only passage towards the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Russia will probably take the investment from Japan freely, but give limited returns!

It's very foolish of the Japanese government knowing this, but still pumping millions of tax-money into these islands, only to benefit Russia!

Nov. 25, 2017
11:50 am JST

Nov. 25, 2017
11:52 am JST

@gelendestrasse

Your words are wasted on trolls. Anyone who claims that North Korea is better off than any of the countries that got screwed over by USA coldwar policies or European colonization back in the day are simply ignorant or purposefully deceitful. There is nothing in the world more evil than North Korea's government (except bloggers who support it)... As evidenced by their insistance on trying to kill anyone who wants to leave. The CCP and Russia are not much better. Look at the govrnments in the Middle East, Africa, or Central America: completly jacked by USA or European influence back in the day. Some recovering, some still screwed. But, none kill you for trying to leave. That is North Korea, and the bloggers here who defend North Korea believe in... Wait for it... North Korea.

Nov. 25, 2017
12:12 pm JST

The world would be a much darker place had America not prevailed in WWII.

Seriously? America did not prevail in WWII. The combined efforts of many Allied countries working together prevailed in WWII, one of which was America. And they were not involved for as many years as other nations in the fighting.

As for Russia complaining about American bases and actions, its situation normal. Nothing new there.

Nov. 25, 2017
12:15 pm JST

Nov. 25, 2017
12:16 pm JST

The world would be a much darker place had America not prevailed in WWII.

Would you prefer the Nazi’s or Russia dealing with you?

Well, I think you'll find that Russia won WW2 in Europe but that's another question.

There are many places in the world more brutal, hellish and dangerous than North Korea.

What's so difficult to understand about this? Read the words on the page, not what the voice in your head is saying. Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Rakhin and Kachine in Myanmar, Borno State in Nigeria are all experiencing mass murder and genocide. North Korea is a brutal dictatorship but it is in far better shape than any of those countries.

Nov. 25, 2017
12:46 pm JST

Dont forget that while Russia was relocating its factories out of German bombing range they relied totally on equipment from the US, UK and Canada fighting through the wolf packs in the Atlantic to continue the resistance against the Germans. As I mentioned in my previous post, it was a team effort and no single country prevailed.

Japan can learn a valuable lesson that having reliable strong allies can make the difference between defeat and victory, when they work closely as a team against a single nation.

Nov. 25, 2017
01:00 pm JST

Any place named by the above post does not kill you for trying to leave.

Some of them will kill you for holding an opinion deemed unacceptable.

I'd say North Korea is the most disgusting regime in modern history but let's look at one country backed by the US and others - Saudi Arabia. This is a country which is arguably even more dangerous to civilised countries by promoting a violent and brutal ideology to some people living in civilised countries. You can also ask the Yemenese about the evil of this regime. You can't ask anything to the now decapitated people in Saudi Arabia who held an opinion deemed unacceptable. The brutality of the North Koreans is rightly condemned. The brutality of another state deemed useful is celebrated with a cute little jig and a drooling speech.

We can argue about who's worse all day, but I think we can see the problem of powerful countries propping up disgraceful regimes because of self-interest.

Nov. 25, 2017
01:13 pm JST

I really don't see why Russia feels threatened by a few US missile interceptors in Japan, Europe, or wherever. If Russia wants to nuke America to smithereens, they just need to use a couple of their submarines that are probably within 200 miles of US shores at any given time.

Nov. 25, 2017
01:15 pm JST

Agree, Japan is not in conflict militarily. That is probably Putin's point as well. I agree the JSDF cannot completely defend the country, which is the same as with many countries in Europe, that is why NATO was established. A more neutral, Pacific version of NATO might work well for Japan and the whole region.

Nov. 25, 2017
01:57 pm JST

"We are expressing deep concern, with facts to back it up, that Japan along with South Korea is becoming a territory for the deployment of elements of the U.S. global missile defense system which is being rolled out in that region under the pretext of the North Korea threat," Lavrov said.

How would Russia react with ICBMs flying over Moscow? Japan has acted with great restraint and patience when dealing with little rocket man and the DPRK. Enough is enough. Russia clam up.

Nov. 25, 2017
02:55 pm JST

Nov. 25, 2017
02:58 pm JST

I am aware that the allies and axis had multiple partners and America dod not win WWII on its own.

What I said, in context, was that the world would probably be a darker more restrictive, more full of dictators, with many more powers such as Russia, Japan, Germany etc fighting over it.

America was the catalyst in WWII and especially in the years that followed.

So when some people insinuate that America is the evil that is killing and enslaving, I agree that these things are done, but I think the USA did more good than its rivals Germany, Russia, and Japan WOULD have done had they won.

Nov. 25, 2017
03:05 pm JST

How would Russia react with ICBMs flying over Moscow? Japan has acted with great restraint and patience when dealing with little rocket man and the DPRK. Enough is enough. Russia clam up.

Japan has acted with incredible restraint. How would Russia and China feel if North Korea fired missiles over Vladivostok or Shanghai? It would be a case of "fire and fury" almost certainly. Can you imagine Putin standing idly by allowing that to happen? Absolutely no chance.

Japan needs to present a viable defense and a potent offense.

Given the rejuvenation of the Russian military that Putin has embarked upon over the last decade and China has pushed, with no end in sight, its incredible hypocrisy to expect Japan to meekly walk away and have themselves subject to the whims of authoritarian dictators.

Nov. 26, 2017
02:06 am JST

The are some 23 US bases in Japan. It would be naive to suggest that their presence and role is solely to enforce the U.S/Japan alliance’s military requirements.

As forward bases their role is to safeguard US national interestsfrom regional threats, Beijing’s aggressive behaviour in the East and South China sea, protecting global trading routes and a counter to Pyongyang’s belligerent nuclear and ballistic missile programme are just a few examples.

If the Russian Federation is worried, huffing and puffing, then it is my opinion and observation the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between Japan and the United States of America is a powerful effective deterrent to counter Russian or Chinese hegemony.

If Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wants to reach out and genuinely forge a future relationship with Japan, based on peaceful coexistence, cooperate and negotiate the return of the Northern Territories to their rightful owners. The People and Government of Japan may in return, review the necessity for such a large US military presence on Japans Islands.

Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between Japan and the United States of America

Nov. 26, 2017
02:24 am JST

Japan needs to tell Russia that they need to accept the results of WWII. The same crap Russia always tells Japan about the four islands (which were never Russian to start with) that they stole after Japan surrendered.

Nov. 26, 2017
12:20 pm JST

Nov. 26, 2017
01:02 pm JST

Japan is surrounded by three countries under communist party dictatorships with Nuclear weapons. What do you expect from Japan? You want peace with Japan? Then drop communism, disband Communist party, do away with one-party dictatorship and start developing democracy. And give up all nuclear weapons. Then we can talk about military bases in Japan.

Nov. 26, 2017
04:25 pm JST

Nov. 27, 2017
03:10 am JST

Nov. 29, 2017
10:43 am JST

Would Russia (or anyone here for that matter) have any concerns with Chinese military buildup in the region after the U.S. withdraws from Okinawa, Japan and South Korea? You all know China will fill that vacuum.

Dec. 1, 2017
06:17 pm JST

Halwick,

Let me confine my discussion on bases in Okinawa. In the first place, does the U.S. have any intention to withdraw all its military forces from Okinawa by any set date -- for example, by 2044? The presumed end date is 99 years after the end of the Second World War in 1945. Great Britain returned Hong Kong in 1997, ending the 99-year occupation of it. Likewise, Portugal returned Macao in 1999. Does the U.S. have any guts to follow suit?

The current question at issue in Okinawa is the Futenma-to-Henoko relocation issue. What does the U.S. recalcitrance to stick to the relocation plan mean at all? It means the U.S. military is intent on stationing in Okinawa for good without its presence being reduced at all. Since the U.S. military involved here is only Marines, that are engaged in training jungle warfare skills, flight raining by Ospreys and what not, that also means the U.S. intends to maintain bases in Okinawa forever whether they were to counter Chinese military buildup or not.

Ultimately, that means Okinawa will continue to exist as a U.S. military colony forever, far beyond the putative end date of 2044. Can anyone tolerate being subjected to such a state of affairst?

Dec. 1, 2017
06:25 pm JST

Dec. 2, 2017
07:39 am JST

pacint,

On the surface, U.S. forces in Okinawa are not occupying forces, either. They are being provided bases and areas in exchange for the defense and security of Japan under a bilateral security. But these bases and areas are none other than the carry-overs from the Occupation era. The name changed but the substance remains the same.

Was the leasing of Hong Kong signed between the two signatory nations under normal and natural conditions?

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